Targeted offers such as coupons are a useful marketing tool to enhance brand loyalty and introduce new products. By customizing an offer to a consumer based on purchasing patterns and preferences, the offer provides a targeted incentive for the consumer to purchase a particular product or line of products.
Conventionally, offers have been available in printed form from sources such as newspapers. Increased adoption of electronic sources of information such as the world-wide-web, however, has led to the increase in popularity of electronic offers.
In addition, most consumers now own and operate a cell phone or other portable electronic device. This renders such consumers accessible to the distribution of electronic offers as they do their shopping, or are otherwise mobile. After distribution, the targeted offers may be redeemed. Such systems require knowledge of the nearest store locations where the offer can be redeemed. Moreover, the targeted offers are typically redeemed only at the physical store location. Recent developments in offer redemption permit offers to be redeemed for online purchases. In these systems, consumers are required to wait for delivery of the goods purchased using the offer. There is no way for consumers to redeem offers using their portable electronic device and to collect the goods or services at the physical store location. These and other drawbacks and limitations exist with respect to existing targeted offer distribution systems.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems individually and collectively.